


this time

by raining_acid



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: 18th Century, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Character Death, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Suppressing the Gay, Unrequited Love, War, always good to be a lil gay with ur homies, but is it?, but like dont worry bout it, lmao dont question me, lmao i dont know how to tag ok, not beta becuase my friends are all too cool for me, oh they are gay for each other but the Universe said No but actually Yes but No, ok look you can interpret this as romantic or platonic i dont mind, they are terribly gay, theyre all good, this entire fic is literally just the universe saying Gay and then they Suppress the Gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28828572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raining_acid/pseuds/raining_acid
Summary: two souls, intertwined, destined to meet, again and again and again.in the fabric of the universe, two threads are tied together tight. calloused hands smooth over the creases and undo the knots, but they cannot undo this one. so they leave it be.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Bloggin RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 66





	this time

**Author's Note:**

> lmao look honestly i tried so yeah have a really Short fic.  
> there arent any Capital Letters because I Said So.  
> oh and shoutout to Riley honestly go read her fic instead: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27727448

the first time they meet, it is not truly meeting. it is dark and it is only a flash. for a moment, thoughts meet, shimmering in the ink, sharp, then disappear into the darkness again. a merging of hearts and longings as an unknown hand pushes them together. the pulsing centre of the universe pauses as the bond is made.

there are stars beginning to form in the sky, and the world is not yet whole.

***

the first time they truly meet, it is a lush summer's day. a day of hand-fed grapes and silken cream-coloured togas, a day where the sun melts into the horizon, casting a brilliant orange glow over the hills.

the blond prince, emperor to be, scans his eyes across the room. light filters lazily into the parlour, catching on strands of hair and bronzed skin. he spots dark hazelnut hair and uncharacteristically pale skin. the servant looks up, momentarily, then with a start gives a small bow and walks away.

the prince follows his movements, his demure downwards gaze, the way that, for some reason, he seems to shine so clear while the others wade in murky waters. he pulls himself out of his thoughts, turning away to look out into the city.

the servant steals a glance at the untouchable, golden boy. so out of reach. he, too, feels the magnetic twist and pull inside his chest, the one that makes him want to walk in confident strides and stare the emperor's son directly in the eye, to lean ever so slightly closer. he, too, turns away from his thoughts.

but times change and jealousies arise. there is blood, too much of it, that the servant must clean off the walls as his heart sheds acidic tears. a dagger in the wrong hands places power in the grasp of the undeserving. as he scrubs, he sighs. he is but a servant, and can do nothing.

this time, the servant lives in silent acceptance, and the universe continues its unravelling.

***

the second time they meet, a king places his sword, adorned in rubies, upon a worthy fighter's shoulder. there is a slight scrape of metal on metal. chainmail glistens in the torchlight. heavy words are spoken and oaths are made in honesty. the king runs his hand through his dark hair and the newly-made knight feels a tug of familiarity. the hearty feasting and talking begin and the feeling is forgotten.

the year is riddled with fights, with changing loyalties, with shouts and screams, but king and knight live through it.

the knight grows his hair long and hides his face behind the cage that is his helmet. the king watches this metamorphosis, of pain carving into a man. when they share words, they are orders and reports, not conversations, though they wish it could be more.

as kingdoms divide and ordinary folk join the rabble, king and knight begin to live in each other's shadows, each with unwavering faith in the other, a rock-solid trust. but their talks are as meaningless as ever, and true emotions are only revealed through soft looks as one of them looks the other way.

in this age, the lives of the strong are snuffed out in an instant. when the king falls, his kingdom and his knight fall with him. during the cold silence of the following winter, a golden haired soldier kneels and mourns the loss of his leader in an aching manner. he feels as if his heart could be wrenched out of his chest and thrown, burdened and beating onto the frozen ground.

this time, a man looks to the sky and curses the universe for its unforgivable nature as it continues with the flow of time.

***

the third time they meet, there is a ball, and there are people from all over the county laughing and chattering. there is an abundance of ladies, one gentleman notices with amusement. women young and old dance to the music emanating from upstairs, and whisper to themselves in high, giggly voices.

when the officers walks in, the gentleman finds himself rather breathless. he is met with glinting green eyes and a sparkle in almost copper-like hair. when their gazes meet, the gentleman looks down at his feet. to his surprise, the officer approaches him, and they make easy conversation.

as the months pass, they stand beneath great oak trees and sit in fields of grass and buds, talking. the gentleman can't help but feel the bond, feel the pull that draws him so very close to the officer. the instinct that makes him want to sit a little closer, smile a little more. most of the time his logic overcomes the attraction, but on those rare occasions where he very nearly loses control altogether, the officer does not pull away fast enough.

the officer feels it too. the magnetic draw that leaves him shivering in the breeze. they call themselves kindred spirits and leave it at that.

but the officer is soon to leave, following his regiment, leave this town all behind, and with it, the gentleman. they say cold farewells that they both regret, with clenched jaws and fleeting gazes. leaves begin to fall from the deciduous trees, stripping the branches bare.

this time, they forget each other and the universe keeps on turning.

***

the fourth time they meet, they are both clad in khaki, with dirt on their faces and determination in their souls. they are introduced as private and colonel with a strong handshake that hides their fears. they hide in trenches and shoot from behind barbed wire as everyone does. but they begin to hold each other above their own lives.

the conditions are harsh, and bombs fall more often than not. they sit side by side in their rough, stiff coats and tremble as the ground splits open not too far away. they stand side by side with eyes wide and blood on their faces as people fall all around them. when the private is shot in the leg, the colonel feels as if he would die of fear, but to his insurmountable relief, the boy returns with nothing wrong but a pained smile in his clear blue eyes.

they toil under the sun, backs pressed against the dirt as bombs whistle above their heads. they often fall asleep on each other's shoulders, in the lulls between the fighting. they tell to each other stories of home, of great green rolling fields and glimmering golden sands, of places special to their hearts. they divulge secrets, knowing that they probably won't make it out alive.

in the soft moments that he can spare, the colonel watches the private and feels a pang of familiarity. he hides his smile behind the vivid blasts, and longs, wishes, hopes that the private can go back to his family, even if he himself won't. he resists the urge to brush his fingers across the private's dark fringe, to run his hand gently across his cheek, to lean closer and close the gap. his fingers twitch at his sides.

then, there is a moment. everything stills. he stares, and his watch, always 3 minutes late, ticks. there is a familiar whistle through the air, but this time it is too loud, too close. the colonel realises that his hopes won't come true. the private turns to him, pale face mapped with fear, but the colonel still thinks that he is beautiful. he wishes he could just lean forward and fall.

a rumble echoes through the ground, smoke and light burst through the air, and all is turned to ash and rubble.

this time, the universe does not notice two deaths among the sea of many.

***

the fifth time they meet, a boy smiles at a boy through the soft curves of his voice, longing hidden beneath layers of code and wire. they sit far, far away from each other, closed off by ocean, land and sky, connected by heart.

one could say that it is not truly meeting, but their voices collide with hot stinging sparks flying, spreading a pain that feels utterly alive and good. this time, they are bared out to the world, their souls hidden through an opaque yet fragile sheen of gossamer. with headsets on and fingers gliding along, they dance around each other with soft touches and sharp jabs.

they laugh away the longing, knowing that they are too far away. but somewhere deep beneath the gossamer the longing lulls, gently.

this time, there are people watching.  
this time, they can feel the universe beneath their feet, fraying at the edges, curling where the stitches were too tight. this time, they smile and follow the hand which pushes them, the twist and pull within their chests, the tug of familiarity, the bond which binds them, the urge to cross the oceans and close the gap.

"dream."

"george."

this time, it is not over yet.

**Author's Note:**

> wow you made it to the end  
> find me on tumblr: raining-acid.tumblr.com


End file.
